Week 4: PODCAST REVIEW

Week 4: PODCAST REVIEW.

WChapter 10: The Arab World.

It’s such a fascinating chapter and so complex that it should be a section that takes up two weeks at least two weeks of study. This is week 4 and a shortened week. Rather than attempt to struggle through it as I have done in the past, it’s time to simply enjoy it with our ears.

So much can be said about the influences from the Arab World to the West: The violin and guitar (ud) can be traced back to Arab instruments. Some Western Medieval European rhythms and dances are noticeably influenced by Arab music from the early periods. 

With the two major invasions and occupation of Europe clear to the walls of Vienna, Austria, by the Ottoman Empire it is easy to hear the music influences from the Arab world.  We can also surmise that the Crusades also influenced much of the Arab world in the same way as well. These topics are ongoing and students are often subjected to and influenced by the way a professor or textbook leans politically.  In chapter 5 of our textbook the author does a nice job of explaining how Muslims, Christians and Jews contributed to the arts and music of Europe. That’s the part that is important to understand in a music class.

Below is my personal experience and the struggles that I had in the USA school system.  I began to realize the dangers of history and social studies classes by realizing that ideals were taught using selected textbooks and by teachers who leaned either one way or the other politically. I lean forward!

Case in point:  My family is Catholic. After World War II, in Yugoslavia, people were expected to give up their faith and join the communist party. In Slovenia, where I was born,  the alternative was death. The only reason my mother, sister’s and I, before age 1, were spared death by Tito and his socialist/ communist party was that my mother’s first husband was a member of Tito’s communist army. My dad, whom mom married two years after her fist husband’s death, was a not communist or any other party. Communists searched for him and many other Slovenians but he managed to escape over the border into Italy. My mom and sisters were sentenced to seven years hard labor in the socialist/communist prison camp. I was with them as well.  By age 2, I learned to sing praises to a picture of Tito in front of communist soldiers. Sometimes they would share a piece of bread or apple. There were some bad soldiers as well. Beatings, abuse and more came at the hands of these monsters.  I witnessed death at hands of socialist/communists and was even given my Last Rites twice before reaching age 6 because of physical abuse and hunger thanks to the socialist/communist soldiers. Somehow it just wasn’t my time.  By the grace of God and great planning by mom, we managed to escape the camp. That is another wild saga and not enough time to share.

So what was the trouble with USA education? After immigrating to the USA my formal education finally began. History courses were especially difficult to stomach. When it concerned post WWII material I would find large gaps both in the textbooks and my instructors knowledge.  I attempted to share my experiences and first-hand knowledge with my teachers but for the most part they didn’t believe me or were very dismissive because it didn’t match the material in the textbook or what they were taught. I began to realize that the textbook authors seemed to have their own agenda. I find that to be true in the textbook that we are using as well. Sadly, so many of my teachers were indoctrinated into a designed way thinking.  I find that to be the case so often with “higher education” as well. Needless to say, my grades were very low in history and social studies. I did learn to “play the game” in college and not share or rock the boat. I am often asked to speak at private and professional organizations about my experiences with socialism and communism, but never have I been asked to do so at a college or University. I believe that when only one way of thinking is allowed or tolerated, then we have lost our gift of freedom.

You may comment on my experiences or not.

You must, however, write a brief review or comment as specified in each numbered question.

1. (10 pts)The Horses is an Arabic piece: very much like guitar music of Spain/Latin America.  Is programmatic (tells a story) with ABA structure. After listening to it, compare it to the first of three Recuerdos de la Alhambra recordings from Spanish composer Tarrega.  At what point did you feel that the two were reflective of one another? https://www.dropbox.com/s/0zzyvd9gud9gxel/The%20Horses%20like%20guitar.mp3?dl=0

First of three different performances of Recuerdos de la Alhambra by F. Tárrega,

First performed by Stephanie Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAF42Dt-R0k

• (20 pts) Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Tarrega is a well know classical piece for guitar. Listen to this recording  played by Filomena Moretti  and the  3^rd recording played by Ana Vidovic. Describe whish of the two you preferred and why. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot95r4LnlGo&list=RDOt95r4LnlGo&start_radio=1

3^rd performance by Ana Vidovic pronounced (Vidovich) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJsZ7euzjNc

• (15 pts) Medieval Hurdy-Gurdy and Arab influence: This is only about a 2- minute video:  The drone common in the music of India, China, some classical music from Poland  plus and “flat notes” or lower than Western Music scale notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4y7HNW972M&t=53s

What were some surprising and interesting points in this short video?

• (10 pts) Abenamar (sounds very much like an old Italian folk song) again another influence from Arabia https://www.dropbox.com/s/o5z368r4f4wzcwn/Abenamar%20Italian%20folk%20song%20sounding.mp3?dl=0

“IM NIN’Alu” could be American “pop” with English words and if I harmonized it, or could very well be mistaken for a song from India https://www.dropbox.com/s/0qfdi8injakauk2/Im%20Nin%27alu%20either%20pop%20song%20or%20India.mp3?dl=0

With your keen imagination and newer set of listening skills could you see a correlation between the pieces and what I suggested they might be?

• (20 pts) Shaghal from counter number 2:16 could be Medieval European dance https://www.dropbox.com/s/m95emy1je01fz6u/Shaghal%20could%20be%20Medieval%20dance.mp3?dl=0

Medieval Dance Music start at 22:44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaRNvJLKP1E  At what point did you hear where the two worlds of music might be similar to one another and why. Counter numbers were provided for a purpose.

Week 4: PODCAST REVIEW

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